N.B. The video below shows my full morning routine in action. I realize that reading about the progression of my morning is one thing, but seeing how it actually flows together makes everything a lot more relatable. Think of it as a visual guide to help bridge the gap between the words on this page and the realities of my morning.

If you’ve been part of this community long enough then you’re probably privy to my love for structure, routines and taking a borderline robotic approach to my day. I’ve hinted at my morning habits before, but I’ve never actually given you the full, unvarnished breakdown of how I stay afloat amidst the chaos of academic and work demands. So, here it goes. I hope you enjoy it.

I am a morning person through and through, but it wasn’t always the case. I built this habit with intention during the period of 2020 and 2021. I had a lot of free time on my hands then and a good reprieve from academic demands so I fell down the rabbit hole of crossing out my tall reading list. Most of which were self-development and habit building books. I read books, watched videos, listened to podcasts and noticed a central theme run through these material; consistency. So, I decided to create a morning routine I could commit to.

Curating a morning routine that aligns with my goals and personality has been a constant experiment over the years. It’s been quite difficult holding it up as a student. Primarily because I have had to constantly adjust the dials and schedules to match new semesters, clinical rotations and exam seasons. But this routine, it is the one thing that’s stuck. Since 2022, it’s been the ritual that anchors my day. Before I continue, I need to put this out there.

A quick disclaimer: What works for me might not work for you. There is no perfect routine, only a flexible one. And more importantly, not everyone needs a morning routine. At least, not in the way it’s often sold to us. Our personalities are different. Our responsibilities are different. Our approach to life’s issues are different. What works for one person might feel suffocating to another. I’ve learned to respect that. To lean into what works for me, and let go of what doesn’t. Especially without guilt. But for me, I thrive on structure.

Alright, with that said let’s get into the blog post. 

My alarm goes off at 4:00 AM. I typically study for 60 – 90 minutes. In an ideal world, this is ‘reading ahead’ for the day’s classes. In the real world, the one I actually live in, it’s a desperate attempt to clear the backlogs currently breathing down my neck. I haven’t actually ‘read ahead’ since maybe fourth year. Oh chim, sigh.

I’m pretty flexible with where I study, but I definitely appreciate the quiet of this time of day. It’s a nice window for me to get some solid thinking done before things pick up. I must make it known that the waking up from bed when my alarm goes off isn’t pretty or seamless. Sometimes I have to roll off the bed unto the floor and lay there for a few minutes until I can’t bear the uncomfortable hardness of the floor and eventually wake up. 

By 5:15 AM -ish, I have wrapped up on studies. I make my bed, gear up for my workout and walk to the gym.

Pro tip: When you arrive at the gym, spend ten minutes stretching. It doesn’t matter how short your workout is. It gets the blood flowing, psychs you up mentally and ensures you don’t injure yourself. I think it’s a non-negotiable.

My workout typically begins at 5:30 AM. Since today Wednesday, we have chest on the menu. Here’s the breakdown of my full chest workout.

• Warm-up
• Mid-level Cable Flys: 5 sets of 12 (progressing from 20lbs to 100lbs)
• Low-to-High Cable Flys: 5 sets of 12 (progressing from 20lbs to 100lbs)
• Incline Barbell Bench: Empty bar → 10kg → 20kg… up to a working set of 100kg (3 sets of 8 for the working set)
• Flat Barbell Bench: One PR set at 130kg, followed by 4 working sets at 100kg
• Weighted Dips: 4 sets of 12 (weighted with a 30kg)
• Tricep Pushdowns: 4 sets of 15 (supersetted with cable crunches)
• Cable Crunches: 4 sets of 15 (weighted with 100lbs)

I try to wrap this up in 45 – 60 minutes. This is because I’m currently doing my surgery rotation and we are supposed to be on the ward by 7:30am and so I’m constantly racing against the clock. Also, because I haven’t eaten since 6 PM the night before, I’m usually hitting a 12-hour fasting window. So usually when I am 30 minutes into my workout, my body is about giving up. Breaking past that mental barrier is tough but I guess that is where the real work happens.

No gatekeeping around these parts so let me put you on. For my ab workout, I only swear by two exercises; cable crunches and hanging leg raises. I just alternate them. Monday is Crunches, Tuesday is Leg Raises. And the cycle continues. Keep it simple, be in a calorie deficit and watch your abs blow up.

In the video I wasn’t listening to music because I was recording however, I like to workout with music almost always. I have listened to a few podcasts and watched some videos which say you should listen to educational podcasts or train in silence because it improves mind muscle connection yada yada yada. I don’t subscribe to those. My gym period is essentially the only time I get to listen to upbeat music be it afrobeats or amapiano. Also, I’m a big fan of DJ mixes. If DJ Loft or DJames is performing, don’t bother calling me because I’m already there. Or if they release new mixes, I’m so sat.

My best friend and I take music recommendations way too seriously lmao. It’s basically a high-stakes trade at this point. We like to listen to mixes and rate them over ten; the transitions, choice of songs, tempo and blends. Some DJs just understand the assignment.

Alright, back to the morning routine. I’m back in my room by 6:30 AM. To show you what I eat in a day, I prepped these meals right after my workout. Usually, I do this the night before but I wanted to give you the full breakdown for the video. This is what breakfast looks like: 50 grams of oats, 30 grams of granola, mango chips (on occasion), honey, and greek yogurt. I take this with two boiled eggs (with sauce), a protein shake and creatine.

I’ve eaten this every day for 10 months. It’s nutritious, filling and perfect for my protein goals. Personally, the only downside I find to eating this everyday is that the maintenance of this level of consistency with my meals is becoming a significant line item in my budget.

By 6:50am, I’m done eating and in the shower. I’ve already ironed my clothes for the week on Sunday (efficiency final boss, we greet you o), so I just grab the fit and go. 

My morning skin care routine looks like this (in that exact order)

1. Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 
2. Ordinary Niacinamide
3. CeraVe Moisturizer
4. For my Body I use shea butter, top it up with Malibu sunscreen and seal it off with Vaseline Cocoa body oil.
5. For my Scent: I currently use Creed Silver Mountain Water or Bleu De Chanel (both raided from my dad’s wardrobe. Thanks Dad)

At about 7:20am I’m getting ready to set off for school. My bag is packed and lunch packed as well (I usually do this the night before to save time in the morning so I’m not late). Like I already mentioned, I’m in the middle of my surgery rotation right now and I usually close late, so pre-packing my lunch has become a bit of a survival essential for me. Finding healthy options on campus within the demands of my diet can be quite tasking. Plus I find that packing my own lunch is budget friendly.

Depending on whether the sun is trying to actively melt the pavement or not, I’ll either walk or pick an Uber. 70% of the time, I’m Ubering myself to school.

And that’s it. I usually arrive at school in-time; 7:27-ish AM and the robotic part of my day is over. The rest of the day, you usually just pray to God you’re not the target of any consultant. Alright, that’s about it. But before you leave, here’s some clarification I think you might need.

So there are many ideas and philosophies surrounding morning routines. The information you’d find on the internet about curating the perfect morning routine is overwhelming. 

For instance, there is a theory about not checking your phone in the morning. I don’t subscribe to that either. As a matter of fact I set aside time in the morning to keep ahead of tasks. I reply emails, reply to comments on my blog, check if there’s been a change in our timetable for the day, check the class group for any important messages, etc. and finally, I draw up my todo list for the day so I know what the day looks like and where I need to channel my energies. If I have any meetings I set a reminder so I don’t forget.

If having a morning routine is something you’re thinking about, I’d say start simple, just try things out. There’s no perfect formula. It takes a bit of trial and error to figure out what actually fits into your life. Think about your goals, your schedule, your energy, your personality. Build something around that. Not around what looks good online. 

A good routine shouldn’t feel forced. It shouldn’t be something you dread waking up to. It should feel manageable. Something that helps you ease into your day, not exhaust you before it even begins.

Hopefully, sharing my routine gave you a bit of clarity or at least a place to start. And if you made it this far, thank you. I really mean that. I really enjoyed putting this together and I love the thought of revisiting it years from now to see whether I’ve stayed true to the same level of discipline and consistency I hold myself to today.

If you enjoyed the attached video, you can check out my YouTube channel. I’d appreciate you subscribing and leaving a like. I’ll be sharing more there. If there’s anything you’d want me to write on or anything you’d like to see, please leave a comment below or send me an email via the ‘contact me’ page. I’d love to hear from you.

Take care, and have a good rest of the week.❤️

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